‘Trial of the Century’ reenactment underscores impact of Scopes case
DAYTON, Tenn. – Austin Peay profoundly misjudged the moment when he, with the swoop of a pen and the authority vested in him as Tennessee’s governor, signed the Butler Act into law on March 21, 1925.
Religious liberty ‘the best blessing’ America has, Baptist immigrants say
NASHVILLE (BP) – For distributing the Bible and sharing the Gospel in the Soviet Union, Aleksei Kharlamov’s great-grandfather was sent to Siberia and never heard from again. His grandfather and father both were persecuted for being Baptist pastors. Growing up in post-Soviet Moscow, Kharlamov was called a cult member for being a Baptist.
FIRST-PERSON: Liberty for all – a Baptist distinctive
As the echoes of Fourth of July fireworks fade and we turn our attention to the week ahead, Southern Baptists also will take a moment to celebrate a key freedom that Americans have long enjoyed and that Baptists have continually sought to defend.
USCIRF cites Russia’s ‘blatant’ religious freedom violations as Ukraine peace talks stall
WASHINGTON (BP) – Russia continued to persecute pastors and shutter churches within its borders and in territories it occupies in Ukraine in 2025, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said June 30 in an updated report on Russia.
Judge halts NC county’s denial of Summit Church’s zoning request in ongoing lawsuit
GREENSBORO, N.C. — A federal judge denied the Chatham County Board of Commissioners’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by The Summit Church and partially granted the church’s request for a preliminary injunction against the county’s decision to deny The Summit’s application to rezone approximately 50 acres of land for a new worship facility.
Supreme Court restores parents’ rights to opt children out of LGBTQ storybook time
WASHINGTON (BP) – The United States Supreme Court ruled Friday (June 27) that parents of public-school children in Montgomery County, Md., have a right to opt their kids out of classroom reading times with books the school board labels as “LGBTQ inclusive.”
Court blocks Louisiana law requiring schools to post Ten Commandments in classrooms
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A panel of three federal appellate judges has ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in each of the state's public school classrooms is unconstitutional.
Supreme Court instructs New York to uphold religious liberty
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Supreme Court has ordered New York courts to reconsider some of their previous decisions in light of the High Court’s ruling in the Wisconsin Catholic Charities case earlier this month.
Supreme Court unanimously sides with Catholic Charities in religious liberty case
WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that a Catholic benevolent ministry qualifies for a tax exemption granted to churches.
Cuba’s crackdown on Christians, other faith groups unabated, CSW finds
HAVANA, Cuba (BP) – Pray for Cuba, a Baptist pastor there implored on social media. Afterwards, police interrogated him for claiming the Church can solve Cuba’s problems, while they believe “only the Revolution and its political systems can solve people’s problems.”
